1. Technical Field
This invention relates to refrigerator door seals and in particular to seals for sealing french-type refrigerator doors wherein juxtaposed edges of the french doors extend across the access opening of the refrigerated space.
2. Background Art
In one improved form of french door refrigerator construction disclosed in co-pending U.S. Patent application Ser. No. 38,574, of Charles W. Haag, which application is owned by the assignee hereof, an improved double seal structure is provided formed of two pairs of overlapping seal flaps defining an air space therebetween. The present invention defines a further improvement over the structure of said application in effectively causing the air space to comprise a dead air, thermally insulating space.
Additional background art disclosures are found in U.S. Letters Patent, such as that of Walter Peglow, U.S. Pat. No. 2,441,080, which shows a refrigerator cabinet having a french door closure portion. Peglow teaches the provision of a vertical channel between the juxtaposed door edges through which is flowed warm air from the machinery compartment, thereby to prevent condensation of moisture on the outer surface of the cabinet about the access opening.
Willis E. Hursey et al show, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,449,384, a french door refrigerator having a center mullion. Hursey et al provide an extension of the mullion which projects outwardly between the french doors so as to be disposed in the path of circulating air to prevent formation of condensation thereon.
Charles E. Hall, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,248,159, shows a french door construction wherein magnetic gasket portions seal against each other when the french doors are in the closed position.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,264,048, Alan J. Koch et al show a refrigerator door seal wherein the magnetic gaskets between the french doors thereof define overlapping flaps permitting the seal to be made irrespective of which door is closed first.
Russell S. Townsend, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,382,618, shows a closure sealing means wherein a partial enclosed air space is formed by a first pair of flaps which overlap in the closed position of the doors and a second pair of flaps which, while juxtaposed, remain spaced from each other in the closed position of the french doors.
Walter C. Frehse shows, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,408,772, a gasket arrangement having overlapping magnetic flaps wherein the french doors are arranged to close against a center mullion. The gasket provides a seal between the doors and holds one door in the closed position when the other door is opened independently thereof.
Bernard J. Grimm et al, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,942,853, show a gasket assembly having pairs of gasket elements extending along the french door juxtaposed edges forming vertically extending insulating chambers. Flanges on the gasket assembly extend into contact with the center mullion, when present, or into contact with each other when the mullion is not present. The insulating chambers, as disclosed, extend from end to end of the seals, with no means for closing the end of a chamber defined between the gasket elements being taught or suggested.